How to Pick Lingerie that Flatters Your Figure

Displaying Your Assets

Do you thumb through the Victoria Secret catalog and think not me? Well, why not? If you knew how to select intimate apparel, you might be saying yes more often.

There are two kinds of intimate apparel ~ everyday wear and special occasion. Everyday wear often goes unseen, doing its job without comment or observation. The most important aspect of everyday wear is comfort.

Special occasion (lingerie), on the other hand, has to work a little harder. Lingerie is designed to be the "icing on the cake," and often doesn't get the kind of attention it deserves.

When it comes to lingerie there are some guidelines to consider. First and most important, lingerie should be chosen according to body type. Just as your clothes should be chosen according to your body type, lingerie should also complement your figure. It's all about creating an illusion of perfection by drawing the eyes away from imperfections and creating balance.

The second thing to consider is color. Some colors of lingerie will be better suited for your complexion, eye color, and hair color than others. For example, red heads should avoid wearing red, pink, or orange.

Whether you are sprinting to get under the sheets or taking your time is directly related to your choice of intimate apparel and how well it displays your "assets." To start making better choices, use the body type calculator link below.

"It may not be something that you will see as obvious on the red carpet but lingerie is something that is very close to every woman."

Sara Tervo

http://www.femaleforlife.com.au/Body-Shapes-Types/Calculator.htm

Apples

Selecting Intimate Apparel for an Apple Body Type

The Apple body type will tend to be petite in stature, but have wide shoulders, smaller hips,and full breasts. It is quite common to see an Apple figure with a muscular upper body build. The challenge is to find intimate apparel that emphasizes the thighs and hips in order to balance out the upper body.

As Apples tend to be well endowed, selecting intimate wear that best showcases their curves starts with a supportive bra. Breasts need to be lifted and fully supported. Good bra choices are full cup bras, balconnette bras, and baby-doll style nighties with a stretch lace top that supports the bust. Bras with side panels are also a good addition, as pulling the breasts front and center helps create lines that lead to the waist and add balance. Try to keep bras on the plainer side of things, as the goal is to shift the attention to the waist and lower body.

Selecting the proper underwear is crucial for Apples. As this area needs attention drawn to it, low rise panties with frills, lace, side ties, and bows will all work for the Apple figure. Boy shorts or other full coverage briefs are another good choice, especially in bold or vibrant colors. Apple shaped figures also look good in shape wear and bodysuits.

Balancing this figure out may require mixing and matching various lingerie pieces, but remember to downplay the upper body and bring the attention to the lower half.

Pears

Selecting Intimate Apparel for the Pear Body Type

The Pear figure has a smaller upper body (narrow shoulders, small ribcage) in comparison to the lower body (fuller bottom, curvy hips, thicker thighs) thus the pear shape. The challenge with the Pear body type is to bring the hips into balance with the upper body. Lingerie choices that work well with the curves of a Pear will draw attention to the upper body while downplaying the lower body.

For the Pear figure the place to start is with the upper body and bras. Pear shaped women who have a small cup size should consider a padded bra, as it will add more volume to their upper body. For Pear shaped women who are well endowed it is essential that breasts are lifted and fully supported. Both of these measures will make the upper body look more in proportion with the lower body.

Good bra choices are demi cups and triangle shaped bras. Bras with ruffles, bows, or other ornamental designs will also bring the eyes upward and create balance. Pear shaped figures also look good in corsets.

For Pears dressing the lower half is all about less. The best panty choice for a Pear is a high cut panty with a low rise. These panties will make the legs and waist look longer, thus making a Pear's hips and thighs look smaller. Pears need to avoid boy shorts or full coverage briefs, as well as panties with lace, ruffles, ties, or bows, as these features are not slimming and will make a Pear's lower half appear more prominent.

The challenge when selecting intimate wear for a Pear figure is to draw the attention away from the lower body and up to the upper body. Like with the Apple, balancing a Pear figure out may require mixing and matching various lingerie pieces.

Bananas

Selecting Intimate Apparel for the Banana Body Type

There are a number of names for this body type; Bananas, Columns, or Rectangles. Regardless of the name, women with a Banana figure have a tendency to be slim and straight with bust, waist, and hip measurements of similar size. The similarity of these measurements hides a Bananas curves as the the waist is not readily visible. The area to focus on with the Banana shaped figure is the waist. This is accomplished indirectly by selecting intimate wear for the upper and lower body that create the illusion of a defined waistline.

Most Bananas have small to medium sized breasts in which there is a wide array of bras to choose from. A contour bra or balconette with wide set straps are a great choice. Both bra types expose more of the chest area and enlargen the upper body's appearance. Other good choices for Bananas are camisoles and bustiers, as these garmets create lines that narrow the waist while lengthening the entire body. Don't shy away from bras with frills, lace, bows, or other decorative features that will make the bust look larger and waist appear smaller.

Panty selection for the Banana body type is an easy one. Nearly every style of panty will work well for the Banana. A good choice in particular is the rumba panty or a lingerie skirt. Only in cases where a Banana has short legs should boy shorts or full coverage briefs be avoided. These cuts will make short legs appear even shorter, so go with hi cut briefs instead. As with bras, a Banana should select panties that have ruffles, ribbons, bows, ties, or other features that will make the hips and thighs appear larger (thus making the waist look smaller).

The objective when selecting intimate wear for a Banana figure is to draw the attention to the waist. A Banana's physique tends to hide any curves so it is important to select bras and panties that emphasize those areas making the waistline appear smaller.

"I love lingerie and feminine things. It makes me feel nice to look good and turn somebody on by doing so. It's an incredible rush. And when it turns a man on? fantastic.."

Lorri Bagley

http://www.femaleforlife.com.au/Body-Shapes-Types/Calculator.htm

Hourglasses

Selecting Intimate Apparel for the Hourglass Body Type

The Hourglass figure is quite balanced as the breasts and hips are in nearly equal proportions creating a waist that cannot be missed.These measurements are often considered ideal and there are a wide range of lingerie options. The biggest mistake made with an Hourglass figure is upsetting the natural balance between the upper and lower body through inproper initimate wear choices.

Starting at the top, an Hourglass figure will have few problems finding suitable bras. When smaller on top, create more volume with contour, padded, or pushup padded bras. If larger on top, make sure the bra has side panels in the cups to push the breasts forward and adequate support to keep the breasts lifted. The Hourglass body type must remember to keep things as they are ~ in balance. If you want to create the look of larger breasts, you must remember to emphasize the hips as well in order to keep the Hourglass shape.

With bottoms, Hourglass figures can wear practically anything. The best panties for showing off an Hourglass body type are Brazilians, thongs, string bikinis, rio thongs, tangas, and g-strings. Hourglasses with shorter legs, though, should avoid boyshorts or full coverage briefs to avoid looking even shorter.

When it comes to selecting intimate wear for the Hourglass figure, the primary concern needs to be on not messing things up! If changes are made in one area, then similar changes need to be made in the other in order to keep things balanced.

Eye Candy - Color and Seduction

http://wallpaper4me.com/wallpaper/Colors-Come-To-Life/

When trying to decide what color of lingerie you should wear, there are three things to consider; skin complexion, hair color, and eye color. Getting all three to agree is the challenge, but luckily there is an infinite number of combinations out there.

Starting with skin complexion~ those with a light or fair complexion should consider powders, pastels, or blue colors, but should let hair and eye color influence the final color choice. Medium complexions can wear stronger colors, like red, but should also defer to hair and eye color. Darker complexions can wear nearly the entire color range from light to dark (with the exception of orange and brown) and look great in bold prints.

Next hair color~ there are several basic rules with hair and lingerie. Blondes look best in softer lighter colors, like pastels. Going too dark will draw attention away from the face and overwhelm a blonde's natural hair tone. Brunettes should wear stronger colors like emerald green, sapphire blue, or strong prints. Red heads do best with strong greens, blues, or burgandys, but need to avoid red, pink,and orange. Darker hair colors (rich dark browns and blacks) can wear earth tones and other strong vibrant colors like pink and purple.

Now the eyes~ they say the eyes are the window to the soul, so let's not forget them! Blue eyes can be brought out when combined with blue lingerie. Look for a shade that best brings out your particular color. Some brown eyes mixed with blue lingerie also look spectacular. Green eyes, following the same reasoning, should consider various shades of green, but also remain open to reds and prints with the mixture of red and green. Women who have hazel eyes should consider blues, earth tones, and greens. The widest range of color choices goes to brown eyed women as nearly ever color can be a good match.

Most intimate wear comes in either black, white, or red and for good reason. Black helps make a figure look slimmer and (on redheads and blondes) can create a sharp contrast with skin and hair, if that's the desired effect. White can make an area appear larger, which is some cases, might be desired (especially for Pears and Apples). White is also a great color for brunettes and women with darker hair, as it creates a sharp contrast with their skin tone and/or hair color. Red, the color of love and romance, has always been a popular choice.

Intimate wear doesn't have to be intimadating! Don't be afraid to try new things and different combinations to get the right look for your body type.

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